Thomas r



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LETTER Box. 1\o.l165,580. Patented Deo'. 22, 184911.

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gmx; d lgal/Lto@ g. 3517, M @Lhmung UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

THOMAS R. LOVERRE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,580, dated December 22, 1891.

Application liled May 14, 1891. Serial No. 392,681. (No modell) To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS R. LowEERE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention comprises a letter-box of two compartments, one behind the other, one for letters and the other for papers` and packages, both accessible from the same door and separated by a swinging partition, which is normally tending toward the smaller or letter compartment, but yielding toward the larger or paper compartment, so as to increase the letter-space with the accumulation of deposited letters; also means for preventing abstraction of letters from the box without opening the lock, and means for holding upon the box mail-matter placed there for collection by the carrier.

The invention will be hereinafter described and claimed with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a front view of my improved letter-box as adapted to be attached to a wall, post, or other object. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken on the line of Fig. l and seen in direction of arrow 1. Fig. 3 is a top view, partly broken out along the line y y y of Fig. 2, showingthe arrangement of the sliding mail holder or keeper. Fig. 4c is a vertical section, similar to Fig. 2, of a modification of the letter-box adapted to be placed within a wall, as is usual in hathouses and other places, and whereby, for neatness of appearance, the door or visible portion may be much shorter than the depth of the box. Fig. 5 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 2, showing the letter-box adapted to be attached to and through an office-door from the inner side thereof, the mail-matter being deposited in the box from the outside of the office-door, and the door of the letterbox being on the back of said box and accessible only from within the office. Fig. 6 is a front view of part of the letter-box, showing a modification of the sliding mail-keeper.

A is the frame of the box, and B the door hinged to the frame, as shown in Figs. l and 5.

When the box is secured to the outer surface of a wall, door, post, or other object, the fastening-screws a' are applied from the inside of the box through the rear wall thereof, as in Fig.4 2, so as to beinaccessible for removal from the out-side. In boxes thus secured I prefer to arrange the screws on both sides of the'center line of the back or reaiwall of the box,'so as to leave clear of obstructions a groove c., formed in the middle of the back, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which a met-allic or other sufficiently heavy bar E fits to slide freely. This bar has an angular bend, forming an arm e, which projects over the top of the box for the purpose of depressing by the weight of the bar E, and thus retaining upon the box mail-matter placed there to be collected by the mail-carrier.

To facilitate the raising ofthe bar E, it may be provided with a knob or handle e.

The simplest and most convenient arrangement of the keeper E is that shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but it may be arranged to slide in a guide or guides on one or both sides of the box, with the arm e traversing the top in a position about parallel with the front or rear walls, as shown in Fig.

F is a shelf underneath the box formed by an angular bend in the casting, also for the purpose of temporarily holding mail-matter for collection by the carrier, the shelf being accessible from both sides of the box, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The door B has (except when applied to the back of the box, as shown in Fig. 5) an opening b through its upper portion, through which opening mail-matter is dropped into the box. At the lower edge of said opening is a cleat b', having a downward and inward inclined surface projecting far enough to shield and protect the letters deposited. This cleat is old, except as applied on the hinged door. Farther down the door may be provided with another opening having a glasspane b2 and within the latter a tag-pocket b3, (see Fig. 2,) showing the name of the owner or on a card deposited by the carrier the time of the last collection, as described in my former patent, No. 277,586, dated May 15, 1883.

The box is divided by a swinging partition.

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D into two compartments, thevsmaller one, in front of the partition, being the receptacle for letters and the larger, behind the partition, being the receptacle for newspapers, packages, and circulars.

The partition D, from the shelf, board, or cleat d down to the bottom of box, is solidt'. e., without opening-and of width to [it the inside width of the box, with clearance only to move freely backward and forward. This partition has arms d rigid with it, which arms extend upward behind the front atopposite sides of the opening b and serve to suspend the partition in position to swing upon pivots or a rod c', having bearings in the side walls of t-he box. The holes in the arms d', by which thepartition is th us pivoted,are arranged forward ofthe formal longitudinal center line voi" gravityrofl thepartition, thereby causin g1 the latter to han gl normally forward with its lower end, so as to limit the letter-space to its minimunruntil swungbaek by the accui-n-ulated letters, thus also exerting a constant forward pressure upon the lettersand preventin gthem from getting edgewise across the space.

The board d is a rigidpart of the partition D,1proj ecting forward from' the sameith rough the opening b a little beyond the front sur-I face of the box,' and is of suitablewidth toiill the width ofthe opening b with'clearancerto move freely. It isl also so arranged, as shown` inthe drawings, that while projecting through. the opening b it divides it intoan upper'largerv opening, th rough which newspapers :and packages maybe dropped overthe board cl linto the r-eary compartment of the-box, and a lower small opening, through which letters may be dropped under the board d and overthe cleat b"-'into the front compartmentvofl thebox.

Alreference to-*Fig-2 will make clearfthat an attempt to abstract letters deposited' i'nithe box would be frustrated, because the'necessaryniovement inward of the partition D to gain needed spacebetween it andthe cleat b brings'the outer edge of the board d nearer tothe-loweredge of the opening b and'closes the letter-dropopening too much foraccess.

C is a swing-door covering fromthe inside the upper or paper drop-opening for the purpose of excluding dust.

pivots c on which the parti-tion D hangs,

and is swung inward and thus raised'when It is suspended by'perforat-ed lugs cfuponthe same ro'd or door is iirst opened and the letter-compartment emptied. Then the'pa'rtition D isiswun g forward and the paper-compartment emptied. Vhen the door is in the rear of the box, as in Fig. 5, it is evident that access is first gained tothe paper-compartment and then to the vtition dividing the said box, in two fcompart:

men-ts,onefor letters and one for. othermiailmatter, said partition being suspended insthe said box in position normally-tending'to close the openings through `which the'lettersare deposited in lthe-letter-compartment.

2. `Incombinationlwith a 'letter-box.' having a-cleat below the drop-opening,za dividingpartition suspended within said boxrinposiltion normally tending to'ward-saidcleat .and ,provided with'a board abovesaid cleaft,1sa1d board covering the entrance to -t-he llet-tcrcompartment.

3. lThecombination,with arletter-'boxhav ing'a drop-opening t), ofla-par-titionD; dividingv the said box in .two compartments, one for letters and onefor otherv ma-il-mfatt-cig-and a board or shelf d, dividing the said opening into two drop-openings leading, A respectively, one to each vof the saidcompa'rtmen'ts.

4. The combination, `with'a letter-boxlhav- Aing-adoor shorterfthan lthe-box, of alswin'gingpartition, dividingrsaid -box in :two comfpartmen'ts,lthe ,lower @part of the; said Y.partitionbeing hinged yto the upper oramai-n part,

substantially as described.

v5. The combinatiomwith a letter-boxhaving the drop-opening on a vvertical 4partthereofV and a closed top without openingsand having 'arvertical `guideor groove in one 0f its walls, of 1 abar sliding in-saidr guide and Apro- =vide`d withfan arm extending `overthetop of `said box for holdingmail-matter.thereon.

6. The combination, withfaletter-boxrhaving the drop-opening ona'vertical partiA thereof and a rearwardly downward inclinin'g closed 4top without opening and 'having a Avertical guide orgroove-in the outside of itsrear wall,

of a bar sliding in'said guide land 'provided `,with an arm extendingiforward over "the top of said boxfor holding mail-matterfthereon.

l7. The combination, with aletter-box,fofa door hinged thereto land provided with a drop-opening b and a suspended 'partition dividing the said box-'in two compartments,

Vsaidy partitionfhaving a shelf or board d :pro-

j ecting through'V said drop-opening and dividing the same into two drop-openings leading,

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465,580 ,A t a respectively, one to each of the said com- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as partments. my invention I have signed my name, in ro S. The combination, with a letter-box havpresence of two witnesses, this 9th day of ing drop-opening i), of an interior swinging May,l891.

partition D, having a shelf d projecting in THOMAS R. LOWERRE.

said drop-opening, and astop s, limiting the W'itnesses:

'rearward movement of the' said partition, ALFRED K. MONTGOMEIW,4

substantially as set forth. JOHN JENNINGS. 

